Chapter 590: Entry

"The True Scripture of Tai Xu Divine Thought Turning into Swords…"

Mo Hua frowned slightly.

Right now, he only knew this one long, impressively sounding name.

But everything else was still a mystery.

What type of sword art is this?

Is it a body cultivator's sword technique?

Is it a sword scripture that reaches ultimate refinement, killing with sword qi?

Or is it merely a pure divine thought sword art…

Mo Hua sighed.

Though he had deduced a sliver of cause and effect, the clues were too few, his divine sense too limited, and his divination methods too crude—he couldn't just pinch his fingers and figure everything out.

It seems he must enter Tai Xu Gate to learn the origin and secrets of this sword scripture.

Whether it truly lives up to its name—transforming divine thought into sword qi, roaming Tai Xu, slaying evil and demons…

This must be clarified!

Mo Hua nodded.

Ordinary sword arts can be skipped, but this might be divine thought turning into swords!

He had built his Foundation with divine thought and walked the path of divine awareness to enlightenment; not learning divine thought turning into swords really wouldn't make sense…

Though he had said before that a mere sword art wasn't worth learning…

But there was no choice…

Riding a sword is truly cool!

If he really could learn it, he'd pretend he'd never said any of that before.

"Riding a sword…"

Mo Hua recalled the earlier Jiang Laoda, his Golden Body charging up, condensing brilliant sword qi.

Though in the end he hacked at the thatched hut like an idiot, the dazzling blade of light he summoned had genuinely made Mo Hua envious.

Far more imposing than his little fireball, and with tremendous power.

Want to learn!

Mo Hua's eyes sparkled.

But if such a powerful sword scripture truly existed, it would at least be a sect's core technique—Tai Xu Gate might not be willing to teach him…

Mo Hua hesitated, then relaxed.

When the cart reaches the mountain, a path will appear.

Take his senior uncle—he never intended to teach him, yet through the twists of heavenly fate, hadn't he still stolen…

No, he had learned it properly, hadn't he…

The head of Tai Xu Gate surely wouldn't be more stingy than his senior uncle…

Mo Hua's thoughts shifted, and he made his plan.

Next, he simply needed to enter Tai Xu Gate.

Enter Tai Xu Gate, and he could find a way to learn this "True Scripture of Tai Xu Divine Thought Turning into Swords!"

Even if he ultimately failed to learn it, there was no need to be discouraged.

Learning more about cultivation, arrays, and other Daoist knowledge would fill his gaps—and still be a guaranteed gain.

But…

Mo Hua frowned again, remembering another matter.

"Huang Shanjun…"

In the fleeting glimpses of his heavenly fate divination, he had seen another, unfamiliar "Huang Shanjun."

Blood-red eyes, sharp claws, a massive body, fierce and demonic.

Its aura was extraordinarily deep, immensely powerful…

This was not the power of a mere second-rank mountain spirit—even a corrupted, demonic second-rank spirit god couldn't possess such presence…

Something's wrong…

This Huang Shanjun is deeply suspicious…

Mo Hua's lively eyes narrowed slightly.

"This weasel, it's definitely lying, deliberately hiding something crucial…"

Though it's now fallen on hard times and weak, it must have been rich and powerful before.

And judging by its appearance, it was a giant—extremely rich, extremely powerful…

The white-robed sword cultivator who slew it once must be far, far stronger than it claimed.

This divine thought turning into swords technique must be extraordinary indeed…

It seems he'll need to find that broken mountain spirit again when he has time, and ask these questions clearly…

"How dare you deceive me…"

Mo Hua snorted coldly, his gaze slightly dangerous…

…

In a distant ruined temple on barren mountains.

Eating rotten, misshapen fruit, enjoying meager incense offerings, basking in bright sunlight leaking through the temple's broken roof.

Huang Shanjun's narrow face wore an expression of calm ease.

Suddenly, a chill swept over him…

Huang Shanjun couldn't help but shiver slightly.

The warm sunlight grew somewhat cold.

"What bad thing is watching me?"

Huang Shanjun's expression changed; he frowned, racked his brains, but thought and thought and thought, still couldn't figure it out.

Over these years, he'd kept a low profile, always playing the coward when trouble came, bowing and scraping to everyone, occasionally apologizing or playing the victim—he'd never offended any cultivators, great masters, wild ghosts, or evil spirits…

His life had been "poor," but peaceful.

Huang Shanjun strained his mind for a long time, yet still felt dazed.

Suddenly, a face—innocent yet fiercely menacing—flashed into his mind.

Huang Shanjun froze outright, his mouth twitching.

"No way…"

"That brat…"

Huang Shanjun's heart turned bitter; the melon in his mouth lost its sweetness…

…

Mo Hua wanted to go find Huang Shanjun and get answers, but now he had no time.

Besides, Huang Shanjun had once been so "wealthy"—his methods must be powerful; he might even have hidden cards. If Mo Hua truly went to confront him, he'd need to plan carefully and prepare thoroughly.

Right now, getting admitted was the priority.

Huang Shanjun's matter could be asked about later, when time allowed.

After all, the mountain god may run, but the temple won't.

The temple won't run; he can't escape…

…

Wen Ren Wan delivered the application letter to Grand Void Gate.

It listed Mo Hua's place of origin and his special skill: "proficient in arrays."

Since all connections had been smoothed over, it was merely a formality—the elders handling it all stamped their seals, indicating approval.

Finally, this document of origin reached the Grand Void Gate's sect leader.

The sect leader held a single veto right.

Of course, in such matters, he usually turned a blind eye, pretending not to see.

Unless there was opposing stance, conflicting interests, or sharp conflict, he wouldn't provoke the collective anger of the elders and noble families by rejecting this application.

After all, it was only one slot.

Even if he was deeply displeased, it wasn't worth causing discord with the elders over such a trivial matter and damaging Grand Void Gate's dignity.

Yet he was indeed displeased.

The Grand Void Gate sect leader, over three hundred years old, had the appearance of a middle-aged man: thick, jet-black hair, devoted to "nourishing life," with calm, gentle eyes and a touch of laziness.

He felt both annoyed and helpless:

"Even if there's goodwill, don't let every decision be dictated by those noble families…"

"The sect must have its own integrity…"

But though he said so, he still unfolded the "resume" in his hand—and upon one glance, he was startled.

The Grand Void Gate sect leader looked up at the elder who delivered the resume: "You didn't make a mistake?"

The elder was tall and thin, from the same sect, a disciple of Grand Void Gate three hundred years ago—still his junior brother.

Both had entered from the outer sect and risen to the inner sect.

Now he was sect leader; his junior brother had become an elder—one of the most trusted elders in Grand Void Gate.

The elder smiled bitterly: "How could such a matter be treated lightly?"

The Grand Void Gate sect leader shook his head, deeply puzzled:

"What do the Shangguan and Wenren families mean? Two great noble houses endorsing a lone cultivator? This is strange…"

The elder said: "It's said there's some past favor…"

"What favor?"

The elder shook his head: "How would I know?"

The Grand Void Gate sect leader weighed it, then nodded: "Gratitude repaid is a good karmic bond. Let's accept him."

The elder asked: "Aren't you going to stall?"

This was customary.

"Stalling" meant delaying the matter to express displeasure, then trading favors to gain support from the sect's own elders.

Some initiatives the sect leader wanted to push had previously faced heavy resistance and obstruction—but now, through this opportunity, he could exchange "favors" to win more elder approval.

His affairs would then proceed more smoothly.

Or he could extract another favor from the Shangguan or Wenren families.

Or increase the tuition fee for this disciple's admission…

After all, exceptional admission was always an exchange of interests.

Where there are people, there are entanglements of interest—these things are unavoidable.

Compared to other sects, Grand Void Gate already had far fewer scheming intrigues…

The Grand Void Gate sect leader shook his head: "No need…"

He flipped through the resume and sighed softly: "It's rare for noble families to act not out of self-interest, but out of gratitude—it's truly rare…"

"And this child is a lone cultivator, right? Lone cultivators have it hard—no need to raise the tuition. Treat him equally: whatever the others get, he gets the same…"

The elder nodded: "Understood."

The Grand Void Sect's leader flipped further down and suddenly saw the "Specialty" section, which read "Skilled in Array Formation," and he froze, speechless.

After a long while, he finally praised:

"This is truly… youthful audacity, admirable courage…"

Forget cultivators without sect affiliation.

Even among the direct heirs of the Shangguan and Wen families, or even the inner disciples of the entire Grand Void Sect, few dare call themselves 'skilled in array formation'…

The elder chuckled, "This child is fearless through ignorance—hardly worth scolding. Once he enters the sect, he'll learn that array formation isn't so simple…"

The Grand Void Sect's leader nodded slightly, then said: "Then it's settled. Let him come for initiation in three days."

He glanced one last time at the application.

The name written on it was "Mo Hua."

"Mo Hua…"

The Grand Void Sect's leader murmured the name, nodded, and silently committed it to memory.

"Quite a pleasant name…"

…

The subsequent initiation procedures proceeded as usual.

Xu Wanyi was also taken aback.

She had expected the Grand Void Sect to haggle further, but everything afterward proceeded unexpectedly smoothly.

Mo Hua would enter the Grand Void Sect in three days.

Xu Wanyi exhaled in relief—this matter was finally settled.

And Mo Hua was very happy.

Though he had endured some Zhou Zhe, he could finally enter the sect.

Xu Wanyi arranged Mo Hua's initiation, purchased several items, and three days later, brought him to the foot of Tai Xu Mountain, where the Grand Void Sect was located.

Before parting, Xu Wanyi reiterated the sect's rules and key points to observe after entering.

"Some disciples are arrogant and domineering—try to avoid them."

"If you get into trouble, don't be afraid—tell the elders, then have them go to the Shangguan family to find me…"

"If someone bullies you, don't fight back—you're too small and weak to win. Go to the elders; if they ignore you, I'll back you up…"

"Learn to protect yourself…"

…

Xu Wanyi worried that Mo Hua, so young, so gentle, so innocent, so kind, might be deceived, ostracized, ignored, or bullied in the sect—suffering in silence with no one to defend him…

So she felt deep pity for him.

Although Mo Hua thought he wouldn't be "bullied," Xu Wanyi's concern still warmed his heart.

Mo Hua nodded vigorously and declared firmly:

"Don't worry, Xu Wanyi—I'll be careful and won't let anyone bully me!"

Seeing Mo Hua so confident, as if he'd never been bullied before, Xu Wanyi couldn't help smiling and gently stroked his head.

Yu Er also came to see Mo Hua off, her small face filled with reluctance as she whispered:

"Big brother, can I come visit you when I have time…?"

Mo Hua glanced at Xu Wanyi.

Xu Wanyi smiled and nodded.

Mo Hua said: "When you have time, come find me—I'll make you a mighty, fearsome tiger!"

Yu Er's eyes instantly lit up, nodding rapidly like a chick pecking grain:

"Mm-mm-mm!"

Then, a senior disciple from the Grand Void Sect came down to meet Mo Hua.

"This is your Xu Senior Brother—he's also from the Shangguan family, but two cohorts ahead of you. After you enter, if you have questions, ask him."

Xu Wanyi introduced him to Mo Hua.

Mo Hua glanced at the senior disciple, seeing him dressed in a black-and-white Daoist robe adorned with Grand Void patterns, elegant and amiable, seemingly easy to get along with, and bowed respectfully:

"Xu Senior Brother."

Shangguan Xu returned the bow warmly.

Then Xu Wanyi took Yu Er's small hand and left.

Yu Er walked away, glancing back repeatedly, waving goodbye to Mo Hua with reluctance.

After Xu Wanyi and Yu Er departed, Mo Hua followed the senior disciple named Shangguan Xu, one behind the other, up the mountain.

Tai Xu Mountain was very tall.

The Grand Void Sect's main gate stood halfway up the mountain.

So there was still a considerable distance from the base to the gate.

Shangguan Xu had deep cultivation and steady steps; Mo Hua's body technique was refined, his steps light. After walking a while, Mo Hua grew bored and began chatting with Shangguan Xu.

Shangguan Xu was initially reserved, but seeing Mo Hua's innocent, sincere, and warm nature, he grew fond of him.

Moreover, after entering, this boy would be his junior brother.

Though only an outer disciple, they were still fellow sect members.

So Shangguan Xu answered every question fully and without reservation.

Once they grew familiar, the rest of the journey saw Mo Hua's little mouth chattering away:

"Xu Senior Brother, are the sect's rules strict?"

"If I break the sect rules, will I be expelled?"

"If I'm not expelled, will I be locked in solitary confinement? Or forced to guard the gate and sweep the grounds?"

"Senior Brother Xu, if someone accidentally, occasionally, by sheer coincidence, somehow… stole knowledge, would that violate the sect's rules?"

"... Of course, I'm not trying to steal knowledge—I'm just asking…"

"Also, what does the sect master look like? Are the elders bad-tempered?"

…

After hearing these questions, Shangguan Xu couldn't help but laugh and sigh, but he answered each one in turn:

"Don't worry—Grand Void Gate's rules are relatively lenient…"

"Unlike the Sida Sect…"

"In the Sida Sect, disciples' every movement—walking, sitting, lying down—is strictly regulated; they must follow etiquette to the letter; rising and retiring times are fixed and cannot be delayed;"

"Whatever the elders teach, you must learn it; if you fail, you'll be scolded, even forced to apply for Tui Sect yourself;"

"The Sida Sect has many assessments…"

"Pass well, and you're favored; fail, and you're met with cold stares."

"Cultivation, arrays, artifact forging, pill refining, talisman crafting… all are tested, no room for carelessness—the rules are extremely strict…"

"Minor exams every ten days, major exams every month; passing them ranks disciples into first, second, and third tiers…"

"So disciples of the Sida Sect must be 'ambitious'…"

…

Mo Hua felt his scalp prickle. "That's exaggerated, isn't it?"

Shangguan Xu nodded. "Yes, that's why they're the 'Sida Sect'—everything must be better than others; the disciples they cultivate are true children of heaven…"

Shangguan Xu sighed, a touch of admiration and envy in his voice, then his tone grew lighter.

"Of course, our Grand Void Gate is far more relaxed…"

"There are many lineages within the sect—learn whatever you want; even if you do poorly, you won't be harshly scolded; even getting a 'D' is acceptable…"

"Of course, if you can't pass the instructors or elders, and truly anger them, it won't be good…"

"Learning the sect's methods…"

"Except for the sect's true core techniques, most methods are accessible to outer disciples, since we're a sect dedicated to transmitting the Dao—sectarian barriers aren't so deep…"

"If you learn it, it becomes your own skill."

"Of course, the sect's ultimate techniques are excluded…"

"Daily routines have few rules—just attend classes on time and complete assignments punctually; the rest of your time is quite free—the sect won't overly restrict you…"

…

Self-motivated, learn whatever you want; even if you fail, it doesn't matter…

In other words, you can just "slack off"!

Mo Hua nodded.

He realized—he had come to the right place, this Grand Void Gate!

Shangguan Xu added, "The sect master—you'll see him in a few days at the Ru Sect ceremony. Anyway… he's just a sect master, quite approachable…"

"The sect master is easygoing and values health preservation…"

"As for the elders, it's hard to say—they're all different…"

"Some are easy to talk to; others have terrible tempers…"

"Your cohort… let me think…"

Shangguan Xu frowned in thought, then said:

"There's an old elder who teaches arrays—he's been here forever, never retired, still teaching arrays in the sect. He's eccentric and extremely strict, tolerates no slip-ups, and won't allow even the slightest carelessness from disciples…"

Shangguan Xu looked at Mo Hua and sighed. "You've got bad luck—be careful…"

"Oh…"

Mo Hua nodded, but inside he felt curious—who exactly was this "old elder"?

Shangguan Xu was about to say more, but looked up and realized—he and Mo Hua had been chatting, and without noticing, they'd reached the halfway up the mountain, at Grand Void Gate's main gate.

Mo Hua also looked up and saw an ancient, mysterious gate.

The gate's threshold was low.

Above it hung a stone tablet, inscribed with three bold, archaic characters, brimming with Daoic essence:

Taixu Sect.

These three characters were sharp as blades, fused seamlessly with the stone—reserved yet upright, yet upon sight, they concealed an inner sword intent.

It seemed the handiwork of some great swordsman who had returned to simplicity.

Mo Hua glanced once—and became entranced.

He didn't understand sword arts, didn't cultivate sword qi, but faintly, his spiritual sense perceived a vast, ethereal sword intent, as if piercing the void.

"Grand Void Divine Mind Sword True Scripture…"

Mo Hua silently murmured in his heart.

"Younger brother?"

Shangguan Xu noticed Mo Hua staring blankly, his expression puzzled.

Mo Hua snapped back to himself and asked, "Senior Brother Xu, these three characters…"

Shangguan Xu looked up. "Oh, these three characters have been here since Grand Void Gate's founding—probably the work of some Laozu, very old indeed…"

He glanced at the sky, then said to Mo Hua, "Time's getting late—let's enter the sect. You've just joined; there's much to sort out."

"Mm."

Mo Hua nodded and followed Shangguan Xu across the threshold, stepping into Grand Void Gate.

When Mo Hua stepped over the threshold and passed through the mountain gate, he did not notice that the three characters "Grand Void Gate" above the gate glowed with inner radiance, trembling slightly and emitting sword intent.

Soon after, the nearby mist condensed upon the mountain gate, refined by the sword intent, transforming into pure, ethereal smoke that curled upward and drifted toward the sky.

This sword intent was extraordinarily condensed and profoundly hidden.

The refined mist glowed with the hue of perfect furnace mastery, yet blended seamlessly with the surrounding mist.

Most Grand Void Gate disciples and elders felt nothing, but the Grand Void Gate Sect Master, who was seated in meditation within his chamber, suddenly opened his eyes.

He flickered slightly in form, stepping outside, and through Chongshanjunling and the Grand Void Dao Court, gazed toward the mountain gate, where he saw the curling smoke rising above it.

The Grand Void Gate Sect Master stared for a long while, speechless with disbelief.

"Our Grand Void Gate's mountain gate… is smoking green?!"

Today, I'm making no effort.

Tomorrow, I'll try harder and add an extra chapter~

(End of Chapter)